Worst Wonthaggi fire in 20 years

INVESTIGATORS say the fire which ravaged bushland in Wonthaggi South on Saturday is not linked to the spate of house fires in the same area over the past 12 months.

Bass Coast Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) detective Liza Burrows confirmed the blaze is being treated as suspicious, but she says there is no evidence to suggest it is the same offender (or offenders) responsible for the fires which have destroyed multiple vacant homes and sheds in the same area.

“This was a very different type of fire,” Det Burrows said.

“It was daytime and in the middle of bushland – all of the other fires have occurred overnight.

“We’re currently looking at this as a separate incident.”

Det Burrows said the only link between the Tank Hill blaze and other fires is that they occurred roughly in the same area.

She said fire investigators had not discovered any accelerants, saying the offender had likely used available materials.

Over 180 firefighters from around Gippsland and south-east Melbourne converged on Wonthaggi and surrounds to control Saturday’s blaze, which took over three hours to bring under control.

At one point, there were extreme fears the fire had the capacity to spread to nearby Harmers Haven and Cape Paterson, which had the potential to turn what was already a worrying scrub fire into a major catastrophe.

Up to 10 tankers were sent to both nearby towns with strike teams on the ready in case the situation worsened.

Thankfully, the blaze was contained to Tank Hill, with emergency services being praised throughout the community for fighting valiantly to save dozens of homes which came under threat.

During the first hour of the fire (12.30pm onwards), several homes and units in Longwall Court, Reed Crescent and Tank Hill Terrace were in immediate danger, with evacuation orders immediately issued.

As firefighters and water bombers made progress, the emergency warning issued early in the afternoon was downgraded to a ‘watch and act’, and residents breathed a sigh of relief.

There were no injuries and the only property damaged was the back fence of two Longwall Court residents.